The Alyssa Chronicles: The Story of Your Average Daughter of Poseidon
by Poseidongirl28
Summary: 1st Fanfic- OCs and, of course, everyone from the books. I'm not Rick, and the only characters I own are the OCs. T for some minor cursing. Set right after TLH. Alyssa Caldwell. Typical high school freshman/daughter of Poseidon. A catastrophe occurs in the Apollo cabin's store of potion and remedy ingredients, and Alyssa joins a quest to help retrieve some more. It gets crazy fast.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, people of the Internet! This is my first fanfic, so please try to be patient if I do something totally not okay (which I might, accidentally). This is as canon and accurate as I can make it, and I'd absolutely LOVE some helpful reviews.

Disclaimer: I am not, and unfortunately will never be, Rick.

This is just an introduction. I'll eventually publish another fic concerning other parts of Alyssa's story, but for now it's centered on her first quest. This chapter is the story of how she came to camp, and then the next is the official first chapter. Enjoy!

(And review, perhaps. If you feel like it.)

**June 28, 2009**. That was the day of the Battle of the Labyrinth, but that's not where my story starts. No, I arrived just after that- after I'd found out that I was a demigod.

It had started off surprisingly normally, for such a crazy day. I'd slept in, reveling in the fact that it was a Monday and that, because I had been on summer break, I hadn't had to wake up at 7:00 A.M. and wear a uniform.

Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed, threw on jean shorts and a tank top and jogged downstairs. I plucked an energy bar from the cabinet, made sure I had my phone, and went out to meet my friends.

Kat, Olivia, Morgan and I roamed the streets of the little suburb where we all lived and attended Catholic school. We lazily wandered through the neighborhood, back and forth between my house and Olivia's house a few times before deciding to go to the park and hang out. Kat and Olivia claimed the swings, and Morgan and I had plopped down in the woodchips by them. The four of us simply sat in the sluggish heat and chatted about starting eighth grade in September and all the privileges we'd get then. It was just another regular old summer day.

My friends and I were similar in many respects, but I'd always stood out in the group. Besides the fact that I'd been considered extremely awkward (I had a reputation among the 'popular' girls as a horribly dressed prude, even though I'd managed to change that over the years) I had ADHD and minor dyslexia.

By minor, I mean that because of my affinity for reading and writing, I'd been determined and creative enough to find techniques and tricks to help me work through the dyslexia. The result of my efforts was a hard-working A and B student who devoured every book she could find.

Unfortunately, this had raised many questions from my peers and even a couple of teachers. 'How come you like to read so much if you're dyslexic?' 'Isn't it, like, illegal to fake dyslexia for tuition assistance?' 'Do you just say you're dyslexic and ADHD so you can look smarter? Cause that's offensive to kids who actually have it.'

Most of the time I'd been left alone, but occasionally a classmate would give me a dubious look when they saw me with a thick young-adult novel after a test. Some days it was especially bad, and I would come home prepared to give up just so I could be a little more normal. But every time, I'd see my favorite books, and remember my dream of writing something worth reading someday, and I'd know I just couldn't.

My friends tried their best to understand my predicament. One time, Olivia had told me to be honest and asked if I really was dyslexic and ADHD.

I'd replied, "Yes. I just really love to read, so I find a way past it." For once, she'd simply nodded and accepted my answer as the truth. I'd been incredibly grateful for that.

**"Do you guys want to go up to 7-11** **and get some ice cream?"** Olivia asked after we'd played Truth or Dare for a while.

I plucked a woodchip I'd missed earlier from inside of my bra (left over from an especially creative dare on Kat's part) as Morgan said, "Sure, but I need some moolah. Mine's at your house."

Olivia started digging in her pocket to see how much cash she had on her, and Kat pulled out her phone to reply to a text. I leaned back against the base of the swing set and lazily let my gaze wander up and down the road in front of me.

It was a classically idyllic summer day, so of course people were out walking their dogs in the bright sunshine, mowing their lawns, or simply wandering through the little row of antique shops down the street. Because of the utter normalcy of the scene, and the fact that nothing remotely interesting had ever happened in our little town, I didn't notice the nondescript-looking SUV slowly approaching the park until it came to a sudden stop at the curb in front of the swing set.

"Kat, is that your dad's car?" Olivia asked, barely glancing up from her phone.

The car's engine rumbled, but otherwise it was completely still. I could make out outlines of people in the back and front seats through the shaded windows.

Something inside me was itching to flee, but I'd had this urge before. And every time I'd followed it, nothing had actually happened and I'd looked like a freak for overreacting. So, I stayed put.

"No; Lys, do you know whose car that is?" Kat asked, eyeing the van suspiciously. She and Morgan had stood, and Kat offered me her hand to pull me up.

I was about to suggest that we should start walking to 7-11, just to get away from the creepy black van, when all four of its doors flew open and several teenagers jumped out.

"It's okay, we just want to talk to you," the guy in front said, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. He was good-looking and seemed at ease and benevolent, but his four companions looked on edge and aggressive as the group approached us.

"Guys, I think we should go," I said out of the corner of my mouth. My friends nodded and turned to leave. I started to follow them, but the lead guy grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

Suddenly, I felt the tip of something very sharp digging into my back. "I don't think that'd be a very good idea, demigod," he whispered in my ear from behind me. The guy, who couldn't have been older than seventeen, had carefully positioned himself so from the front, he looked like he was standing behind me with a hand on my shoulder.

I tried not to cry out or scream- this guy was clearly a criminal, or insane, and I didn't want to set him off.

Plus, demigod? What was that? Like, a half-god person? No way in hell I could be half god.

"Now, tell your little mortal friends to leave. We wouldn't want to have them getting hurt, now would we?" he continued in a voice so low only I could hear, nudging me a little with the blade. How did he know a weak point would be my friends? And why was he calling them 'mortal'?

"Guys, I think you should go ahead. These are some of my neighbor's friends; they just want to chat with me about something. I'll catch up," I said, making up a lie on the spot. Not something I was usually good at, but I guess my panic had made me a little more imaginative.

"Lys, we aren't gonna leave you alone with these creepy-" Kat started.

"Just go!" I yelped as the group's leader, whom I was starting to like less and less, twisted the tip of the blade around again. It hadn't pierced skin yet, but one more push and it probably would.

"I'll be fine. We'll meet up at 7-11, okay?" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice, but even so it came out slightly strangled and more high-pitched than usual.

My three friends looked uncertain. Morgan shifted nervously on her feet, and Olivia's hand went for her pocket, like she was considering calling 911. I stared pleadingly into Kat's eyes.

She seemed to get the message, and turned to go, saying, "Alright, we'll meet you up there. Bye, Alyssa."

I knew that as soon as she was out of sight she'd call the police, but that goodbye had still sounded a little too final. Morgan and Olivia quickly followed suit, and just like that, I was alone with the strange teenagers.

**"Okay, kid, your friends are gone, now talk,"** one of the guys behind the leader spat. He shoved me roughly to the ground and drew a long bronze sword from a scabbard at his waist that I hadn't noticed before.

"I-I don't know what you want; I don't even know what a demigod is!" I exclaimed, scooting backwards until I hit the swing set.

The guy who had knocked me over stepped forward and loomed threateningly over me. He was thick and muscular, with beady, cruel little eyes that glinted dangerously at me.

"Don't play dumb, we know you're a powerful demigod. We've got eyes everywhere, kid, even in your safe little suburban bubble. Now, who's your godly parent?" he snarled.

The tip of his sword was lowered until it hovered just above my chest. I looked around desperately, waiting for someone to notice, but the passersby seemed oblivious to the sight of a buff teenage guy threatening a young girl with a sword.

I stared at the weapon, frozen in fear, as the head guy rested a hand on Buff Kid's shoulder and said, "Marcus, I think she's telling the truth. She must be unclaimed. Just like most of us." He indicated Marcus' sword, and Marcus grudgingly lifted it from my chest, but kept it trained on me.

"You're one to talk, Mr. 'I'm Aaron, Son of Athena'," one of the girls spoke for the first time. She had been standing behind another guy, a gangly redhead, but now she stepped forward. She was pretty in a quiet, understated way, with auburn hair tied back in a messy bun and hazel eyes. "I was crammed in the Hermes cabin from Day 1 until I left, and I still don't know who my mom is."

My head was buzzing with unanswered questions. "Wait, okay, clear something up for me. Who exactly is 'we', and who's been watching me?" I interrupted the girl before she could continue.

"Well, isn't she a nosy one," the ginger kid commented in a slightly nasal voice.

Aaron shot the ginger a look before turning to me and saying, "Well, I can answer your first question. We are part of an army led by the Titan Kronos. Have you maybe read about him before? Did you ever study Greek myths?"

Study? More like been obsessed with. I'd gone through a phase in fourth grade where I'd been fascinated with anything to do with Ancient Greek myths and stories. My mom had been oddly uncomfortable with my passion that had seemed to come out of almost nowhere, but she'd accepted it and let me have all the books I'd wanted. The phase had passed, but I still loved the subject and remembered most of the myths I'd read.

"Yeah. Kronos was the Titan king. He ate five of his kids and was defeated when the sixth kid released his siblings. They rose against him, and threw him into Tartarus. He was the lord of time, right?" I said.

As the words left my mouth, I realized that it probably hadn't been such a good idea to let them know I knew that much. What if they were some weird cult or something, and tried to get me to join? They seemed crazy, but that still didn't explain the very, very real-looking Ancient Greek-style sword…

Aaron raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. You're exactly right. So, we are all children of the gods who succeeded Kronos, and of a mortal man or woman. We're demigods, and we think you're one too." He extended his hand, and I grasped it and pulled myself up, still not sure what to make of him.

He continued, "For a long time, the gods have mistreated us- forgotten us, left us to fend for ourselves against the monsters from the myths. Do you know the monsters, too?"

Images and names popped into my head. "The Hydra. Medusa. Cyclopes. Harpies. Drakons. Those are all real?" If this was some kind of joke, it was definitely a well thought-out and carefully planned one.

They looked around nervously, like all those things were about to swoop down and attack us, and then nodded gravely.

Aaron responded, "Exactly. But, try not to name so many at once. Names are powerful. And there are a lot more besides those. We all used to live at a place called Camp Half-Blood, a camp where demigods can train to fight the monsters."

His eyes darkened, and his easy smile turned into a slight grimace. "But, we were watched over by the god Dionysus, who ordered us around and sat like a fat lard in a lawn chair all day. The gods send satyrs to take us there, and once we're relatively safe within the borders they forget us. My group and I, and many others like us, got tired of living like that. Kronos has been rising for a long time now, gaining power and building his army."

A new light came into his eyes, and his voice became more impassioned. "We went to join him, because he's going to bring down Olympus and bring justice to all of the forgotten demigods. We have forsaken our parents, just as they have forsaken us. Once Kronos takes over, all demigods can live a safe and happy life, and the gods will be put in their rightful place."

Near the end of his speech, the light in Aaron's eyes began to look slightly maniacal. He seemed even crazier than before. But then I saw something else in his gleaming gray eyes, something that smoldered with deep-seated hurt and anger, and it suddenly dawned on me that what he was saying might actually be true.

"Um, alright, I'm sorry about all that, but where do I come in?" I asked after a moment of awkward silence.

Aaron's eyes glinted, and he signaled to the others. The five of them formed a loose ring around me. I could tell it was meant to be a non-threatening gesture, but that put me on edge even more.

"Well, like I said before, scouts from the army have been watching you for a while, Alyssa. We've seen the signs of a powerful demigod in you, and we thought we'd offer for you to join our cause. We would train you; help you grow to your fullest potential. Wouldn't being part of an army that will ultimately make the world a much greater place be better than your boring life here?"

At first I was a little miffed at the words "boring life"- I mean, hey, my social life was a little lacking occasionally, but otherwise I was content. But then I thought about what he'd offered- I could become a hero. I could finally _do _something.

Ever since I can remember, I've been restless. Not all the time- I wasn't a rebel child, although many people have pegged me as one. After all, trouble followed me everywhere I went. Still, I'd be perfectly happy to sit with a book and a mug of tea some days.

But other days, I'd stare out the window and imagine what it'd be like for just one exciting, out of the ordinary thing to happen to me. Just one adventure- that was all I wanted. It was like there was a little creature inside of me, which remained obediently dormant most of the time, but sometimes begged to be let out. Lately, those days had been more and more frequent; my creature was shaking the bars of its cage.

Over the past couple of weeks, I'd grown scared that I'd be stuck this way forever. I'd get through middle school, then high school, and then college. I'd have some boring desk job for a few years before settling down with a lawyer, or an architect, or a doctor. I'd spend the rest of my adult life as a stay-at-home mom until I grew old and died. I'd never really experience a life outside of the one that had been set up for me. But this was my chance to do just that.

Yet as I stared into Aaron's keen gray eyes, I saw something in their depths that made me uneasy. I realized that while he'd seemed to be friendly and caring, there was a cold, analytical facet of him that he'd hidden under the compassionate one. His eyes roved over me, studying my face for any reaction to what he'd said, mentally noting my every move. I shivered a little under his almost invasive gaze.

I thought of how the tip of Aaron's dagger had dug into my back before I'd even known his name, and of how Marcus had been so quick to shove me to the ground and hold me at swordpoint as soon as my friends were out of sight. All five of them watched me carefully now as they awaited my decision.

I tried to find something about them to confirm my suspicions, and my eyes widened slightly when I realized that besides Marcus, whose sword was already drawn, they had all subtly laid their hands on the hilts of their weapons. In case I said no…

Whatever this Ancient-Greek-myth world was that I'd stepped into, I was 99% sure that these were not the good guys. And that if I refused to join them, they'd probably kill me.

I slowly began to answer, "Well… You see-" when a sudden screeching of tires interrupted me.

We all whipped around to see a beat-up Jeep Cherokee flying down the narrow road towards the park at top speed. There were punctures on every bit of exposed metal, and the hood was badly dented.

"Shit. It's a satyr! Make your decision now, kid; stay with us and live, or go with them and be our enemies," Aaron said urgently.

Even as he said this, he drew his dagger and signaled for the others to move closer. The auburn-haired girl pulled a compacted spear from its sheath on her back and extended it to its full length. The ginger and the other girl, a pretty blonde, pulled swords from hilts by their sides as Marcus hefted his weapon and advanced, smirking cruelly. They started to close the gaps in their circle, and I frantically searched for a way out.

I was about to go into full Alyssa-Panic-Shut-Down Mode when the Jeep hurtled over the curb and into the enclosed area filled with woodchips where we stood. It practically flew towards us, and the other demigods scattered, screaming and cursing.

Shock stunned me for a second, and I stood, frozen, as the car sped towards me. With a fraction of a second to spare, I regained my senses and dove to the side.

I quickly stood and brushed woodchips off of me, and looked up in surprise when the back door closest to me was thrown open.

A girl about my age jumped out and said, "Look dude, I don't know you, but please just listen to me. Kronos is evil; he's trying to bring down Olympus and destroy the entire world. Don't go with them. Whatever they told you, don't listen to them!"

She said it with surprising conviction, despite the desperate look she had on her face. Her voice rose at the end so that she was nearly shouting, but she made no move to try to grab me or say any more. Instead she stood by the door, looking at me with a pleading expression on her face.

"She's lying!" Aaron yelled from behind me. I turned to face him, backing away as he continued, "You're making the biggest mistake of your life, kid. You'll be just as trapped at that camp as you are here! We'll be your enemies! The most powerful being in the world, and an army of thousands! What would you rather be, a hero or a nobody heading into a pointless slaughter?"

I was tired of this all this indecision and confusion. I turned to face the girl, still at the Jeep's side. She was taking in the scene with wide brown eyes and looked just as frightened and uncertain as I felt. She looked back at me, and our eyes met. I'd never seen her before in my life, but when she set her jaw slightly and nodded encouragingly at me, I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate.

'You'll make the right decision. Follow your instincts. You can do this.'

So I did.

"Honestly, Aaron? I'd rather be a hero," I said with all the confidence and clarity I could muster.

Confusion, then fury, crossed his face as I whirled around again and ran for the open Jeep door. The girl had climbed back in, and offered her hand to pull me up. I took it and slammed the door behind me.

"Thanks," I said, turning to lock the door.

"No prob-" the girl began before Marcus appeared in the window, banging on the side of the car with a murderous look on his face.

The girl and I screamed and we leapt away from the door. Marcus pounded on the door handle with the hilt of his sword, and the ginger jumped onto the hood.

"DRIVE COACH HEDGE! GET US OUT OF HERE!" the girl yelled in panic. She had an iron grip on my arm, and I found myself clutching her back when the blonde girl started trying to break open the other backseat window.

"I CAN'T! GINGER'S WEIGHT IS ON THE BROKEN PART OF THE ENGINE; IT'S STALLING!" the short guy in the driver's seat, whom I assumed must be the coach, yelled back.

He started to fumble for something at his feet, and I asked the girl, "What's he looking for?"

The window to my right spiderwebbed, then shattered, and we both shrieked again, reflexively holding each other tighter. An arm appeared in the jagged hole that had been created, but quickly withdrew with a loud shout of "Vlacas!" from its owner when a razor-sharp shard of glass sliced into it.

"Gotcha!" Coach Hedge suddenly cried. He raised a wooden object to his lips and blew into it.

Sudden hysteria swept over me, and I covered my ears and closed my eyes in an attempt to keep out the most horrifying scream I had ever heard. It was every sound of terror, discord, chaos, and fear rolled into one terrifying wail. The cacophony swirled around me in a whirlwind of din and confusion.

I curled up into a ball as the sounds escalated, becoming louder and more frightening by the second. I was vaguely aware of the girl and someone else screaming next to me. With a jolt, I realized that the thin, high-pitched scream was _mine_.

**Just as quickly as they had started**, the sounds stopped. I stayed lying on my side for a moment, giving myself time to recover from… Whatever that had been. Muscles I hadn't realized I was clenching relaxed, and I opened my eyes.

My senses of hearing and touch felt blunted by the abrupt attack on them, but they started to recover, and I sat up. I became aware of the car vibrating, and knew we must be moving away from the park.

A groan rose from the ground next to me. I looked down to see the girl slumped against the seat, slowly opening her eyes and looking around.

"What- what _was_ that?" she asked in a raspy voice as I helped her up onto the seat next to me, carefully avoiding the broken glass. She was pretty, with brown hair a few shades lighter than mine, and tan skin.

"That was a powerful defensive spell, cupcakes," Coach Hedge said from the front seat. "It's designed to disable opponents with paralyzing fear, but I think you felt the effects too."

'Gee', I thought, 'you think?'

"It's an ancient bit of magic, and one that's only been taught to a few satyrs. In theory only, of course," Hedge continued.

He turned around and said, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention my use of it to Chiron or any of the other satyrs. They don't really appreciate my methods sometimes."

'My methods'? That was kind of ominous. So, this was a satyr. I'd been expecting… I don't really know, but I hadn't expected him to look or act like this.

He wore a simple red T-shirt, and had a whistle hanging around his neck. A baseball cap sat atop his curly hair, and a wispy goatee covered his chin and upper lip. Basically, he looked like a P.E. teacher, and I silently hoped that all satyrs weren't like this.

"Okay, we won't, I guess, but couldn't you have used something less…" the girl trailed off, searching for a word.

"Loud? Nerve-wracking? Terrifying? Sanity-shattering?" I supplied.

She looked at me a little oddly and said, "Yeah. Exactly what she said. By the way, what's your name? I'm Caroline."

I smiled and replied, "Alyssa. Alyssa Caldwell. And Caroline's right; isn't there another… ah, spell, I guess, you could've used?"

Hedge shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said, "Well, I suppose I could've gone for something a little… Less intimidating, for new demigods. But my motto is 'Act now, ask questions later'. I guess in hindsight using a spell that powerful wasn't a very good idea in such an enclosed space, especially since young half-bloods can't take the heat of Hedge sometimes, but hey, it sure got rid of those pesky enemies quick, right?"

Caroline and I nodded uncertainly, and Hedge sat back, satisfied. He offered no further explanation of whom Chiron might be, or where we were going, and silence ensued.

"Hey, ah… Thanks for saving me back there. I was about to say no to them and get run through with that beefy kid's sword," I told Caroline with a nervous laugh.

"Don't sweat it, kid! That's what we satyrs do, we bring in new demigods and kill all their enemies!" Hedge responded enthusiastically.

"Is he always like this?" I whispered in her ear.

"I don't know, I met him just before we picked you up," Caroline whispered back.

"Really? How'd you meet him?" I asked curiously. It was nice to have someone else with me, going through the same thing I was. As Caroline began to tell her story, I became more and more at ease, despite the wind rushing in through the shattered window and Hedge's insane speeding down the highway.

Apparently, Caroline's day had been just as peaceful as mine up until about 2 o'clock. She had been preparing to meet her friend Ellie at a pool by her house, and had been at home with her older sister when she'd heard something outside.

"It sounded like a bunch of psychotic birds or something," she said. "I didn't think it was a big deal, but Julia got up to go see what it was."

Julia had gone to the window looking out on their front yard and run back upstairs to Caroline moments later. She'd told her that she'd seen a bunch of 'rabid bird-people or something' outside, approaching their front door.

Caroline bit her lip and said, "I kinda started freaking out when she told me about the bird people. It doesn't happen often, but from time to time… I see weird things. And most other people don't seem to see them. Or, at least, not in the way I do. Julia always sort of understood; it's like she can comprehend some, but not all, of what I can. She helps me feel, like, not totally insane. Anyways, sometimes the things… They stalk me. Or threaten my sister and I. Once or twice they've even attacked us, or tried to, at least. Some random chance happening, like a bus coming out of nowhere and hitting whatever was coming for us, saved Julia and I both times. But today, if it hadn't been for Hedge we both would've been done for."

Julia had grabbed Caroline and pulled her downstairs to their back door. They'd run out into their backyard only to be met by the bird people Julia had seen. Upon closer inspection by Caroline, they turned out to be humanoid bird monsters. The monsters had immediately surrounded them, cutting the sisters off from the door and any other possible means of escape.

Right when the things had started to close in on them, they had all simultaneously halted.

"It was so weird. One second they were ready to- to kill us, and the next they were flipping out, flapping and cawing and screeching and stumbling over each other to take flight and get away." Caroline shivered, like she was reliving the moment as she described it.

The last of the bird things had flown away, still wide-eyed and making odd, clicking scared-bird noises, when Hedge had trotted up from the side of the house. He'd explained that he had driven the harpies- the proper name for the monsters- away with a simple sound produced by his reed pipes that resembled a noise too high-pitched for humans to hear that birds loathed. Then he had told Caroline to grab the essentials and come with him.

"Hedge promised that Julia would be okay once I was gone. He told me that the monsters were only after me, and that there were more coming that he might not be able to fend off. He seemed to be telling the truth, and he'd just saved Julia and I, so I packed up, said goodbye, and went with him." Caroline paused for a moment to look out the broken window at the highway, flickering by us.

I sat, unsure of what to do or say. Then she took a deep breath and turned back toward me.

She and Hedge had just pulled out of her neighborhood when the harpies had returned. Hedge had jerked the car around as he drove so the harpies couldn't get much of a foothold, but they had still pecked and scratched at the Jeep. Taking back roads and shortcuts to try to save time getting to me, he had yelled over the noise to Caroline, trying to explain the basics of what was going on, but not everything, since "it's dangerous for half-bloods to know too much before they get to camp."

Hedge told her that they were going to pick up another demigod (me) and then go straight to camp. Much of what he had said had been lost on her, since she had been busy trying not to get slammed into the sides of the car and holding on for dear life.

"I got the gist of what he was trying to say- my dad's a Greek god, one of your parents is too, we're going to a camp to train to fight mythological monsters, ancient Titan rising, bad, etc. It took us about forty-five minutes instead of fifteen, like it should have, to get to you because Hedge didn't actually know any shortcuts. By the time we got there, I thought I was gonna die at the hands of a demon bird lady. But then another weird thing happened- right when we passed the little volunteer fire department, you know, the one up by the Baskin Robbins," I nodded, "the harpies disappeared. I turned around to see what had happened to them, and they were all hovering just behind the traffic light, but they weren't chasing us. It was like they'd hit some kind of barrier. So then we came to the park, and you know the rest."

Once she'd finished, Caroline asked me to fill her in on what had happened before she and Hedge had arrived. I did, and she didn't interrupt at all, just listened attentively.

When I'd finished about ten minutes later, she asked, "Wait, you go to a Catholic school too? Where do you go?" I told her the name of my little Pre-K-8 school, and started asking her questions.

Caroline and I turned out to be much more similar than I'd thought we'd be, and not just because of the circumstances we were in. She was also a rising eighth grader, and attended another Catholic school in the next town over.

I quickly learned that she was twelve and turning thirteen in four days, and that she loved books just as much as I. This inevitably sparked an avid conversation on series such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and many other young adult novels. We both thought that the Narnia series was boring just because of the way it was written (we agreed that the world in the stories had a lot of potential), and that John Green was truly a gift from the gods.

"Actually, he is," Coach Hedge piped up. Until then, he'd given us our space, but I didn't mind him joining the conversation. "He's a son of Apollo. Got the more creative traits, I guess, to be an author."

"Whoa, seriously? Are there lots of famous people who are demigods?" I asked.

Caroline and I listened eagerly as Hedge explained that yes, there were, but very few living today. He also said that it'd be dangerous for us to know who they were, and then Caroline asked why there weren't a lot of adult demigods in the modern world.

"Well, you see, Caroline, demigods… You kids just don't usually have very long lifespans. Between fighting monsters, and training accidents, and sometimes just their own powers, a lot of demigods don't make it past their teen years. Especially not with what's going on these days," Hedge told us gravely.

"What do you mean, what's going on? Is it something to do with that Kro-"

"Don't say his name! You have no idea how much power names have in our world, kid," Hedge cut me off.

"Erm, right, sorry. But, does it have something to do with that war?" I asked again after a moment.

Hedge nodded and said, "Yeah. It does. I'm sorry, but until we cross camp boundaries, that's all I can tell you. I'm worried that if you know any more, your scent will become too strong and more monsters will come after us. Don't worry, though; we'll be there in a few hours."

'Scent'? I hoped demigods had, like, enchanted deodorant or something to get rid of that.

"Where is Camp Half-Blood, anyway?" Caroline piped up.

"Long Island, New York, baby!" Hedge responded enthusiastically, pumping a fist in the air. "So, we've been driving for about forty-five minutes already; I'd say you two have a little over three more hours to get some rest and talk. Once we get to camp, you'll be very busy, but don't worry, there will be other demigods to guide you. Any questions?"

I shook my head, but Caroline asked, "Yeah. Is there any way we can contact our families? I mean, Julia knows what happened, and she told my mom I had to leave for my own safety, but… I just want to make sure they're okay."

Crap, how could I have forgotten about my mom, not to mention my aunt and cousins? Mom would be at her accounting office right now, of course, but what would happen when she, the kids, and Aunt Kristin got home and realized I was gone? They'd freak. They'd be devastated.

The same things that Caroline had described going through- seeing weird things that everyone else seemed to overlook, being stalked by those things, etc.- had also happened to me in the past. My mom might have some clue about what happened.

But what could she do then? Worry? Or worse, try to find out more and get hurt in the process? I couldn't let that happen to my family.

Hedge scratched behind his ear and looked uncomfortable, like he'd had this conversation many times before. "Look, cupcakes, I'm sorry, but half-bloods just don't- can't, I should say- do technology. Cell and WiFi signals broadcast your location to monsters. They're just too dangerous to use. Maybe once we get you to camp, but for now, no. Alright?"

Great. So there goes the Internet, my phone, and any other possible means of contacting my friends and family. Well… not completely, I guess. Hedge had made it sound like there must be something at camp. There was still hope.

Caroline sighed, and we nodded begrudgingly.

Hedge beamed, like it was all perfectly fine now, and said, "Fantastic. Now, until then, no more questions. Oh, and clear some of that glass away, will you? Put it in this bag," he handed me a greasy Wendy's takeout bag, "And try to be careful."

I obliged, carefully switching places with Caroline and using one of those ice-scraper things I'd found under the seat to scoop as many shards of glass as I could into the bag. Once I'd finished, I placed it in the passenger seat and settled next to Caroline again.

We picked up our conversation from earlier, and the afternoon wore on into evening as we talked about book-to-movie adaptations, celebrities, favorite foods, funny stories- anything. Soon we were laughing and joking like we'd been friends for years and knew each other inside and out.

It's funny, the way that happens sometimes- you meet this person, and you discover something you share with them deep within yourself, and you just click. I'd never experienced anything like it. I was usually apprehensive about things foreign to me, but this was just… comfortable. And at the same time, indescribably wonderful.

**Thanks to Hedge's highly illegal methods of 'saving time' on the highway**, we made it to Long Island in three hours and fifteen minutes, and got there around 6. Usually it took me at least four or five hours to get to New York City, but hey, a lot of new things had been happening today.

We pulled up at the base of a small hill. I looked around; nothing but trees, the road we'd taken, a wooden fence in the distance, and more trees.

"You girls get out, grab your stuff, and get to the top of the hill as fast as you can. I've had pretty good luck with you two so far, and I don't want anything happening right on camp borders," Hedge instructed, sounding a little anxious.

Trying as hard as I could to obey the 'no more questions' rule, I followed Caroline out and around to the trunk. She pulled out a pink Vera Bradley duffel and slid the strap over her shoulder. I closed the trunk and looked up the hill.

Hedge leaned out of the open window and said, "At the top of the hill, there's an archway. Get through it and go down to the Big House, or wherever you see activity. I'm gonna go through the side entrance and park, so don't worry about me. Now get a move on!"

Together, we jogged up the hill in the light of the dying sun. Soon, Caroline and I reached the archway Hedge had told us about. It was about twenty feet high, and made of creamy marble. Large Greek letters were inscribed in it. I tilted my head up slightly and tried to interpret them.

" 'Camp Half-Blood'," Caroline read carefully. "This is it, I guess," she said, meeting my eyes. My new friend extended her hand, and I took it.

"So, this is our life now?" I murmured, half to myself. A couple yards to one side of the gate, a golden dragon was curled up around a pine tree. What looked a golden sweater hung from a high branch. I wondered what other things that had previously only existed in legends this place held.

"Yup. You ready?" Caroline whispered back. She squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back.

"As I'll ever be. Let's do this," I said. And with that, we crossed the border into our new home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

December 11, 2010

**Needless to say**, a lot's changed since the day Caroline and I arrived at camp.

We settled into the Hermes cabin together and trained with them for a few days, learning the basics and slowly becoming accustomed to our new world. Then the day before Caroline's birthday, I was claimed as the daughter of Poseidon.

Since Percy was supposed to be the only half-blood child of the sea god at the time, everyone was shocked/confused/slightly terrified/thrown into a panic when I came into the picture. Not only did this mean that Poseidon had violated his agreement a second time and somehow kept it a secret, but also that there was another possible hero of the Great Prophecy: me.

Naturally, the gods all freaked out, too, when they found out that there was yet another powerful demigod on the loose. At the time I didn't have a clue as to what was going on. That was mostly because I just didn't think I was that dangerous.

Chiron eventually managed to straighten things out with the gods who thought I should be killed (mostly Hades, Zeus, and Athena- the last only because it would be "unwise to have another child of Fish Breath running around"), and the whole ordeal was over in time to celebrate Caroline's birthday.

A week or so after that she was claimed, and Caroline and I lived happily at camp until the end of the summer. We settled into our new lives and got to know our siblings. Percy and I bonded especially quickly.

Then next summer we fought together in the Second Titan War along with the rest of the camp- you guys know the story. Caroline and I hardly left each other's side until the war was officially over. Percy said that he'd never seen two best friends who fought so well together. We even rivaled the Stolls.

Now, my time at camp is much more interesting than I've made it sound, and three paragraphs really doesn't do it justice. Trust me, I've got plenty of stories about my first two summers at camp for later. But this is an account of my first official quest, the December after the STW. It all started the night I woke to the sound of Caroline sleep-singing.

**The sudden burst of noise outside my cabin door startled me awake**, and I reflexively sat straight up and groped for my knives on the bedside table. My hand swiped air, and I blinked, confused.

I was still half-asleep, so of course it seemed logical to me that I should reach farther over until I was able to grab my weapons. I extended my arm as far as it would go, then leaned over the side of the bed. The entire top half of my body dangled in the air, and suddenly I toppled off the edge of the mattress.

I was weightless for a split second, and then the breath was knocked out of me when I landed with a dull _thud _on the hardwood floor_._

'Since when was my bed that high up?' I wondered, sitting up and groaning.

Rubbing the back of my head, I looked up and groaned again when I realized why I'd fallen. I was in my cabin at camp, and I always slept on the top bunk closest to the window. Unfortunately, I would occasionally mistake my bunk for my bed back in my NYC apartment, which usually led to something like this happening.

Then the noise that had woken me up came again, and I grunted and stood. The cabin floor, which almost resembled a dock with its ancient, moisture-swollen wooden planks, creaked as I crossed the room to the door.

I took a deep breath, unlatched the lock, and slowly opened the door. "Oh gods, not tonight," I moaned when I saw the source of the noise.

It was just as I'd expected. Caroline, my best friend and (usually) partner in crime, was standing on the doorstep, fast asleep. And singing. Loudly.

"Gods, Caroline, I understand you're stressed, but why tonight?" I hissed, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her inside before she woke anyone else up.

Her only response was to throw her head back and belt out Fun.

"Whoaaaaaa, my head is on fire, but my legs are fine; after all they are mine," she sang. Then she fell straight forward and almost sent me to the floor for the second time that night.

Luckily I'd known this might happen, so I quickly regained my balance and shoved my hands under her armpits to lift her up. Her head lolled, but she continued to mumble the lyrics to "Carry On", one of her personal favorites.

"C'mon, work with me here," I grunted. You'd think that being a demigod, I'd be used to lugging my unconscious friends around, but it's actually pretty difficult. Plus, there's usually plenty of other half-bloods around to help when someone's injured or knocked out, and since Percy hadn't come to camp for winter break yet, I was alone in my cabin.

Finally, I managed to get Caroline across the room and onto one of the empty lower bunks. I was about to drop her by the time I got there, so I had to not-so-gently toss her onto the mattress. She landed facedown with her head in the pillow.

I sighed- knowing her, she'd suffocate, or worse, try to eat the pillow. I flipped her over and started shaking her arm to try to wake her up. The only response I got was a song change; she switched artists and started singing "On Top of the World". If she kept up like this, I'd have a mob of angry demigods at my door within a few minutes.

**The whole "sleep-singing" thing probably needs a bit of explanation**. See, all demigods have their little quirks- Hermes kids are all at least a little klepto, Demeter kids tend to act very parental towards everyone, and Ares kids, well, you know, they like killing things. Apollo kids have a wide variety of talents, since their dad is the patron of so many things. They're usually good at two things above all else- archery and music.

For most demigods, these godly traits are a big part of their personalities. So sometimes, when they're stressed, worried, or upset, a demigod will start sleep-stealing, sleep-sparring- you get the idea. It's not uncommon to spot a Hermes kid stumbling across the commons with some valuable object in the middle of the night, and occasionally a child of Ares will be found in the early hours of the morning hacking away at a dummy, fast asleep.

So this is Caroline's little habit. Not a lot of children of Apollo have this problem, but it's just my luck (and hers too, she's arguing) that she does. It only happens when she's stressed about something big, and really it'd be a harmless habit if she weren't so loud. I just wished it wasn't so hard for me to shake my friend from her trance.

**Finally**, I dropped her arm and sat back. It was rare that I was actually able to wake Caroline without using some kind of force to jolt her awake. I bit my lip and pondered my options.

Shaking her more might hurt her. Jumping on the bed might hurt both of us. Tickling would _definitely_ hurt both of us. There was only one other option.

Like I had so many times before, I went into the small bathroom and turned the sink on. I willed the water to gather in my palm, and soon I had a bubble about the size of a soccer ball hovering just above my outstretched hand.

Balancing the water carefully, I let it shift around, but made sure to keep it in a confined area with a specific size. (This is one of the key concepts to controlling water- you have to let it move and flow, but within boundaries that you set.) I crossed the room, my hand adjusting and manipulating the water with skill that only comes with lots of practice.

The floor felt smooth and dry under by bare feet as I returned to the bed. I stretched my hand out above Caroline's head. She was mumbling some other song now… Some Kelly Clarkson ballad, maybe?

I hesitated for a brief second, and then released the water. It splashed over Caroline's head and neck, dousing her. She gasped and sat bolt upright. Her right wrist involuntarily flicked outward, and instantly her glowing golden bow appeared in her hand, along with a quiver of arrows on her back.

"Who… Wah… Monsters…" She struggled to form a coherent sentence as she slowly began to process what must've happened.

She looked over and gave me the big, brown, scared-baby-deer eyes.

Guilt made me cringe slightly, and I raised my hands in a placating gesture. "I had to wake you up somehow. Sorry, man."

Caroline's eyebrows creased slightly in understanding just as loud, angry pounding started to sound at my door.

"OPEN UP, ALYSSA! WE KNOW CAROLINE'S IN THERE!" a shrill, indignant voice shrieked.

Caroline seemed to almost shrink back into the sheets as the pounding resumed, this time accompanied by cursing and frustrated growling. She thrust the bow swiftly downward. It and the quiver disappeared in two puffs of golden dust.

"Don't worry, I'll go talk to them. They'll understand," I whispered comfortingly. The last part wasn't exactly true, but I needed to help my friend stay calm. Waking up in someone else's cabin with people screaming at you can't be much fun, and Caroline looked terrified.

I walked up to the door and put my ear to it to listen for a familiar voice.

Mostly I was able to hear the same high-pitched voice that had just screamed at us.

It was muttering disgustedly about "nasty old wooden doors… If they're this swollen they should be replaced… UGH WHY WON'T THIS GODS-FORSAKEN DOOR JUST OPEN ALREADY!"

Then someone else came up onto the doorstep, talking soothingly to the girl as everyone else outside fell into uneasy silence. Finally the first person huffed angrily, and I seized my opportunity.

"Having a bit of trouble with the door there, Drew?" I asked, savoring the words.

Drew was hated by almost everyone for abusing her charmspeak so flippantly, so as soon as the words left my mouth I heard barely-concealed snickering rise up outside. Satisfied, I pushed the door open and found myself facing Drew, Caroline's boyfriend, Patrick, and about twenty other campers.

Everyone was in their pajamas- tank tops, sweatpants, flannel. Some had random pieces of armor thrown on over them. Most carried weapons that glistened silverfish-bronze in the moonlight (it was after curfew, after all- even the harpies on staff are nasty).

"Ah… Nice night for a walk, isn't it," I commented nervously. The laughter of the other half-bloods was dying down.

Some glared at me angrily, like 'give-us-the-girl-who-dared-interrupt-our-sleep'. Some looked less mad, but still grumpy at having been woken up so suddenly in the early hours of the morning. The rest just stared blankly- they were probably still half-asleep. Drew stood at the front of the group, and she immediately fixed her cold gaze on me.

"Where's Caroline?" she demanded sharply. The fact that all she was wearing was a pair of Pink (Victoria's Secret) sweatpants and a matching lacy tank top should've made her less intimidating, but since it was Drew she remained just as imposing.

It looked like she'd gotten up so quickly she'd barely had time to put shoes on, so the mint julep concoction she slathered on her face nightly was still on. As she spoke, the jelly-like stuff jiggled slightly. Some tiny pieces broke off and dropped to the ground, but Drew was so furious she didn't notice.

"Look Drew, it's not her fault she does this sometimes. We've all got our little quirks, right? Besides, even in her sleep, she sings way better than you do in the shower," I responded.

Some of the kids snickered, but were quickly silenced by a death-glare from Drew. Even so, I allowed myself a small smirk of satisfaction and a mental self-fist-bump.

A flicker of some emotion- doubt, maybe? Crossed her face for a split second, but Drew quickly recovered. "So she's hiding in your cabin again, I suppose. I always knew that girl had a hard time facing her problems, but this is a new low."

Patrick spoke up then. He's in Cabin 10 with Drew, and it's hard for him to stand up to her. But we all knew from experience that no one could trash Caroline in his presence and get away with it.

"Caroline's more brave than you'll ever be, Drew. She was a hero in the Titan War, and I seem to recall her saving your sorry butt multiple times." He must've realized what would happen before he said it, because when Drew turned to glare at him he held his mouth.

"I think another day on trash duty for you, Patrick. And next time, it'll be the Shoes for a couple of days, kay, sweetie?" Drew tossed the punishment out at him as easily as she might throw away an empty nail polish bottle.

I'd had enough of watching her bully my friends for the night. "All of us standing around isn't solving anything, Drew. Why don't you," I raised my chin slightly and looked at the campers gathered behind her, "_All _of you, just go back to bed. The longer you're out here, the less you'll sleep. I'll take care of Caroline," I added, seeing Drew's raised eyebrows, "and we can finish dealing with this in the morning. Alright?"

Some people nodded and started heading back to their cabins, but stopped when Drew protested, "And since when do we take orders from you, Alyssa? Last I remember Percy was the head of your cabin, not you."

Drew stepped closer to me so our noses almost touched. She spoke softly, but loud enough so that everyone gathered could hear. "I think we've all always known you were the lesser sibling, sweetie. Face it. You'll never live up to Percy, or any demigod children of Poseidon. You're not worth this cabin."

I was so shocked by Drew's sudden jab at my pride that I almost stepped back. Instead I took in a shuddering breath and forced myself to hold my ground. I knew she was charmspeaking me, but that was such a painful subject that what Drew had just said would've been a harsh blow even without her powers.

I opened my mouth and prepared to respond- some stupid comeback, like, "Just go back to bed, Gloppy Face," when Annabeth appeared with a couple of her siblings behind her.

One quick glance at the gathering with her sharp gray eyes, and she understood the situation immediately. "Alyssa's right, guys. I'll resolve this with everyone in the morning. Just go to sleep. We've all got a full day of training tomorrow."

Drew turned to glare at Annabeth, but Annabeth just stared back at her with her standard 'mess-with-me-and-we'll-see-how-many-ways-I-can-br ing-you-down' look. Gray eyes held deep brown for a few seconds, and then Drew huffed and stepped off the doorstep.

"This isn't over, Fish Face," Drew hissed. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she stalked off across the commons.

The rest of the demigods dispersed- some followed Drew to Cabin 10, some went straight across to Cabin 4, and the rest wandered down to the other male cabins. Soon I was left with Patrick and Annabeth.

"Thanks for that, Lyssa," a soft voice said from behind me. I turned and faced Caroline, who bit her lip and looked down at the ground, clearly ashamed.

I hugged her and said, "Don't feel bad, boo. This is what friends are for." She smiled and nodded, and stepped out to greet Patrick.

"You were so brave, standing up to Drew like that," she murmured to him, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend.

"Anything for you, babe," he replied, kissing her forehead. "She might be my half-sister, but she's a bitch and I won't let her hurt you." Caroline nodded absently and rested her head on his chest. She was tired, and was fading fast now that the action was over.

I noticed Annabeth observing the couple, and I turned to her and asked, "Ah… How much of that did you hear?"

She faced me and smiled, her eyes glinting, though with what emotion I couldn't tell. "I came in at 'all of us standing around'. Whether you realize it or not, you're a natural leader."

Annabeth took my hand gently in hers and stared into my eyes. She smiled a small smile, and I saw a flicker of something- sisterly affection? It was hard to tell with her, but I was pretty sure I was right this time.

She sighed, though I couldn't tell why, and said, "You're more like Percy than you realize, Alyssa. Don't ever think you're not worth this cabin. You are. You were born with your heritage, but you'll grow to be so much more than even that. Remember that tomorrow, on your quest. Okay?"

I nodded, and she replied, "Good."

Then she raised her voice slightly and asked, "Now, all three of you are heading out tomorrow, right?"

Patrick, Caroline and I nodded, and Annabeth said, "You'd better get some rest, then. Quests are taxing, and you'll need all the energy you can get. Especially since you'll be hunting for all those ingredients."

We all nodded again, and our group started to break up when Annabeth added, "Oh, and good luck, to all of you. You'll definitely need it. We should all probably get back to our cabins. Wouldn't want to meet the harpies past curfew." And with that, she walked across the commons just as Drew had, this time heading for Cabin 6.

"Annabeth's right. We'd better get to sleep," said Patrick, stifling a yawn.

Caroline murmured her agreement and started for her cabin. She hadn't gone three feet before she stumbled over a loose stone and nearly fell. Patrick caught her arm and helped her regain her balance.

"You must be exhausted after yesterday," he commented.

Caroline nodded and muttered, "Yeah, I'd better get to bed…"

I tried not to grin as Patrick slid his arm under her shoulders and started to lift her. He was always doing things like this, and she always objected to them.

"Babe, I'm fine, I can walk to my cabin by myself," Caroline protested sleepily.

Patrick shook his head and put his other arm under her knees, lifting her up. "Not tonight. You're going on a quest in a few hours; it's gonna be a while before anyone can pamper you." He saw her disapproving look and broke out the puppy pout. "Please?"

After a brief moment, Caroline gave in and mumbled, "Fine."

She raised her head slightly and called out, "Night, Lys. See you in the morning." Then she rested her head on Patrick's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Patrick turned slightly and said, "G'night, Alyssa. Good luck tomorrow."

I smiled and replied, "You too, Pat. Try not to have too much fun there, Caroline."

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I grinned wider. "Night, guys. May the gods be with us tomorrow." _Whoever feels like helping, anyways_, I thought to myself.

"Amen," Patrick said. With that, he adjusted Caroline so she settled better in his arms, and walked off towards Cabin 7.

I stood in my cabin's doorway for a bit to watch them. Patrick crept into the faintly glowing golden cabin and came out a few moments later with empty arms. Satisfied, I went back inside and latched the door shut.

For a little while after, I laid in bed and thought. Tomorrow, I'd go on my first-ever official quest. Sure, I'd been on some of the missions before the Titan War, but those didn't count. This was the real deal.

I knew I should be worrying, and believe me, I was. But my worry mingled with excitement, and so when I finally fell asleep, it was among thoughts of fighting monsters, finding treasures, and coming home a braver and better girl.


End file.
